Stands for Soul
by Little Demon Girl
Summary: Psyche is the best at what she does. Alec and Max need her to help them with something, if she accepts, what does she get out of it? *story in progress*
1. When Psyche met Alec

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel.

Spoilers: I'm starting this story just after Season two episode one. I don't know why, it just fits into my storyline.

Title: Stands for Soul

~~~

A pale, yet well manicured hand with beautiful red fingernails reached out to grab a wad of cash on the table top. As her hand reached it, another hand, masculine, reached out of the shadows and grabbed her wrist, wad in hand.

Bright green eyes looked up from dark eyelashes into the hazel of the newer occupant to the transaction.

"X-5 494." The owner of the red nails and wad of cash continued to stare at him. Her crisp and annoyed voice cooled the air around the three occupants at the small round table. She shook her hand free from his grip and tucked the wad of cash down her low top, into her bra.

"I go by Alec now." He returned her cool attitude and took his hand off the table, back into the shadows.

"Oh really?" She asked him, flashing a fake smile at the other person at the table, who promptly got up and left.

"Really." He replied, watching her with feigned interest. She gathered her things together, being her very small black sequined handbag and bright red lipstick she tossed into it. Stopping herself from leaving, she took another look at him and sat down again.

"What do you want Alec?" She asked, exasperated and confused as to why she was even asking.

"I need your help Psyche." He looked at her and waited for her reply.

"What for?" She asked him, putting her bag down and crossed her legs slowly. Although only 17, she knew how men worked, especially men like Alec.

"I need your help with a gig." He replied, watching her cross her perfect legs. He glanced up at her to see her smile. "I heard you were in town, wanted to take advantage of it."

"Really?" She asked again, running a finger down from her temple, down her high cheek bone, across her cheek to rest on her bottom lip as she cocked her head to the right. Alec gulped as she grinned. She was having fun.

"Yeah., you always were the best thief to come outta Manticore." Her head snapped upright and the grin left her face. Alec watched the playful spark leave her eyes and be replaced by pain and a cold glare and he inwardly groaned. 'Great one Alec, upset the transgenic.'

"I'm sorry." He tried to mend his mistake but she was lost to him.

"Don't mention it." She replied, getting up and grasping her bag in her right hand. "Ever again."

"I'm sorry." He tried again, hurriedly getting up as she turned to leave. She then turned back again and grabbed his hand in a warm handshake.

"It really was good seeing you again Alec. This time on the right side of the fence." She kissed him quickly on the cheek and left just as quick.

"Damn, Max will kill me." Alec sat down and ordered a high content alcoholic beverage, whilst deciding how to tell Max about Psyche.


	2. Nice digs

AN: People wanting more info on Psyche? Well, here she is, this is she!

"What do you mean, she left?" Max rounded on Alec as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He cringed slightly; Max was very angry with him and he wanted certain parts of his body to stay attached.

"I mean she left, went, Psyche has left the building, gone." He replied, risking all those parts he loved in teasing her.

"Shut up Alec, I want to know why she left." Max continued to drag things out of her locker into her backpack, including her pager.

"Hey, not my fault. I walked in on her in the middle of a deal. She was already edgy." He tried to reason with her. Unsuccessfully. She slammed her locker door shut forcefully and shoved past him, sending him a step back. "I'm sorry okay. I mentioned Manticore and she clammed up and left."

"Dah." She replied. "So would I if I was a Manticore escapee."

"Hot run..." Max grabbed the package out of Normal's hands and was out the JamPony door so fast she never heard where it was to be delivered. Normal yelled after her. "Corner of Madison and Fifth. Bip, bip, bip."

He shooed Alec out after Max and he pedalled fast after her.

"What are you doing following me Alec?" Max's still pissed off voice reached his ears and he grinned as she had to slow down for traffic.

"To give you the address." He replied, smirking at his ingeniousness and then dodging a small kid playing handball on the pavement.

"Its written on the package Einstein." The smile instantly fell from his face and Max laughed at him. But he continued to follow her to the address. In perfect annoying Alec fashion.

The address was a swanky old warehouse done up pretty nice. Max parked her bike, leaning it on the wall at the front and knocked on the front door. Alec did the same with his bike and then sidled up behind her, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Nice place." He looked up at the front of the building. Max elbowed him in the stomach as the front door opened.

"Don't speak." She muttered to him, then smiled at the young Japanese woman that answered the door as Alec grasped his abdomen and grimaced.

"Hi, I'm a JamPony Messenger, I have a package for a Miss P. Halliwell." Max looked down at the name on the package and read it out, then back to the woman, still smiling.

"Come in, come in." The young woman ushered them into the large warehouse.

Alec followed Max into the large warehouse and took a good look around. The warehouse was nearly 40 metres long and nearly 20 metres wide. There was only one floor, the roof being 2 floors high. At the right end of the ware house there was a second floor, a loft nearly 15 metres wide, with a spiral staircase down the middle of it. Alec took all this in in less that a second.

Max handed the package to the Japanese woman who moved down the length of the ware house to the second floor loft. She took in the way the place was furnished. Right in front of her was a huge exercise mat with a nice and decent sized punching bag and dummy. There was a dart board on the wall, gymnastics bars and everything Max could have ever wanted to keep in shape.

"494 and 452." A cool voice travelled down the length of the ware house from the loft. Max instantly had all her heightened senses on where the voice came from. She was startled to realise someone knew her designation, they must be from Manticore or White. Alec bristled beside her, but he knew who the voice belonged, so unfurled by the intrusion. The owner of the voice stepped out from the shadows and into the light of a skylight, her hand resting on the railing. "Alec was it now?"

Psyche stood on the loft, her hawk eyesight watching their every move. 452 was very pretty, petite with long straight dark brown hair. She was wearing a tight navy tank with a faded army green coloured jacket with some comfortable three quarter length black pants. There was no mistaking her Manticore heritage. She was tensed up, ready to attack given the slightest need. Alec in daylight was a nice sight, even though with her eyesight, it was easy for her to see his every feature the night before anyway.

Max studied the girl on the loft as closely as she knew she was being studied. The girl had to be 17 or 18 with long red hair, in a huge plait down to her waist. It had blonde highlights and streaks in it, highlighting her nicely tanned skin. She was tall and had the perfect Manticore trademarked figure. She was obviously very fit with all her equipment, and stayed in shape. She was wearing some dark flared jeans that were way too long, tight at the top clutching her figure. Her top was a light blue tank with black lack covering it.

Alec saw Psyche in a different way. He saw her long legs, her model body, thanks to Manticore and probably great in the sack as an X series. And that Japanese woman was nice too. She was behind Psyche and she passed Psyche the package and the form she needed to sign. Psyche did so and dismissed her, turning back to Alec and 452.

'That Japanese woman really was nice. All the right curves, right where they should be'. As he was staring at the Japanese woman Psyche suddenly leapt over the railing and onto the bottom floor, landing on both feet and perfectly balanced.

"Like a cat." Muttered Max. She was beginning to realise who the girl was, but not dropping her guard. She didn't move and inch as the girl walked over the mat towards them.

"Psyche." The girl stated, coming to a stop a few metres away from the pair of X-5s. "And you are?"

Max relaxed and allowed herself to smile. She held out her hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm Max. I prefer that to 452."

"Oh really?" Psyche asked her, taking her hand in a friendly handshake and smiling at her. "That's what 494 said last night. Although, he stated Alec."

"So it is." Alec replied, walking around her equipment and then sitting down on the nearest chair he could find. "Nice digs."

"I know, I do try." She answered, watching Alec move with liquid grace. 'He really was cute'. She shook her head of the thought and proceeded to observe Max walking around her equipment, studying it. Max looked up at her.

"So, how long have you been in Seattle?" She continued to scoop the place out as Psyche answered.

"A few days. I get my stuff shipped out so it's here when I get here." Psyche motioned for Kari, her Japanese maid to leave "So, you two are messengers?:

Max looked up at her from where she was admiring Psyche's collection of thief's toys displayed on the wall.

"Yeah, keeps me honest." Replied Max. Alec just gave a non-committal grunt as he leafed through a couple of Psyche's girly magazines. Max cocked her head towards Alec. "He's a messenger by day. What he does by night, I really don't care to know about."

She continued to look at Psyche's fitness toys as Alec looked up at Psyche and smirked at her.

"If you want, I can show you what I do by nights." Alec told her, putting down the magazine and getting up.

Even though it was a really tempting offer and Psyche's brain was really fighting her body, her brain won over and she smiled seductively at him to keep her body happy and turned away from him.

"Leave her alone Alec." Max said, coming up behind him and hitting him upside the head. "Look Psyche, I just want to ask you if you would reconsider helping us?"

"What?" Psyche's brow creased in confusion, she had no idea what Max wanted.

"Alec asked you for your help last night?" Psyche nodded in agreement. She remembered the conversation and how she left.

"He wanted my help with a gig." She replied, watching Alec color slightly.

"He didn't tell you what it was for?" Max hit him upside the head again. "I need your help in bringing down Manticore for the last time."

"Alec, you never said that. I wouldn't have left." Psyche was annoyed, she had been planning to skip town later in the day.

"Look, it's my fault, I should never have let him help, I was doing something for a friend and he stuffs it up." They both looked at him.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could muster.


	3. Shatter for Threats

AN: Here is some more on Psyche. In this chapter there is a bit of a flashback (dah!), they don't have names as of yet. When they get their names I'll post 'em up so you know who's who.

~~~

"Quick every one, come and watch." The twelve little girls and boys rushed to the windows of their barracks, noses pressed to the glass to see what 281, their CO, was so caught up about. 501 looked out the glass, scouting the outside forest, looking for any movement.

"Over there, to the right." 739, the SIC pointed to where she saw movement. They all averted their eyes to the right and watched as a contingent of X-5s walked out of the forest, holding four grown men in grey outfits, hostage. Lydecker walked out of the shadows and gave them all a command that the X-6s in the barracks couldn't hear from so far away.

452, 656 and 493 let the men go and they stood up to fight. 599 gave the other children around him a few hand signals and the men were all dead within moments. Lydecker clapped a hand onto 599's shoulder in congratulations and they formed two lines behind him, as he took them to the shower. Each child from seven to nine years old was saturated in blood.

"Wow, they did that in less than ninety seconds." 325 exclaimed, her little head bobbing in excitement. Her bright brown eyes were filled with wonder.

"I want to grow up to be just like them." 476 cried, placing his tiny hands back on the window and looking out again to see a clean up crew cleaning up the mess.

"We will." Replied 281. "We will."

~~~

"Logan huh?" Max rolled her eyes. "Nice name."

"Wait till..."

"Shut up Alec." He was cut off even before he started the sentence. Just then the elevator stopped. The three transgenics got out and strolled up to the penthouse front door. Max bent down and quickly picked the lock.

"You do this often?" Psyche asked. She got a grin in response. Max got up and went inside the penthouse, Psyche and Alec following her.

"Hey Logan. What's up man?" Alec yelled out before Max could even open her mouth. She shot daggers at him and went to find Logan. Psyche laughed at their bickering and proceeded to look around his apartment.

"Logan?" Max wandered through the rooms of his apartment. She found him in his computer room. 'Hmm, I'm so surprised.' "Hey."

"Hey, what's up?" He replied, looking up at her as she stood in the doorway, acutely aware of the virus that separated them.

"Alec is a total idiot." She replied instantly. He grinned at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, and I got Psyche to help us with the mission. She's waiting out in the lounge room with Alec." As an after thought added, "I hope she kills him."

Logan got up slowly, the whirring of the exoskeleton loud to the ear. He walked out of the room, gliding past Max, making sure they didn't touch. There was a smash, some yelling and Max and Logan were running into the lounge room.

There stood Psyche holding an eighteenth Century vase, ready to throw it at a cowering Alec. Behind him were the remnants of another vase, smashed to pieces on the wall.

"Psyche, put that down right now." Max's voice startled her into putting the vase down quickly onto the small table she had picked it up from. Max then turned menacingly to Alec and pointed a finger at him. "And you...what the hell did you do to her?"

"Nothing." He replied, standing up so he could look at her. "I swear. She just started to throw things at me and all I had were my Manticore reflexes to save me from her..."

"Liar." Psyche shouted. "He commented on my...erm..." Her voice softened to a normal tone. "...on a part of my body that I prefer was not commented on."

"So you threw an eighteenth Century vase at him? One that I could get over sixty grand for on the Black Market?" Psyche shrugged at Max's anger.

"No big deal, I'll get him another one." She replied, flopping down on a big couch in the middle of the room and curled her hair around one finger.

"That's not the point. His mother gave that to him before she died." Instantly Max's hand went up to finger the necklace around her neck that Logan had given her after she had lifted it from his Aunt Margo. "You had no right to smash it."

Max stormed out of the room. Logan sighed loudly at the guilty looking Psyche and thankfully Alec had the decency to start cleaning up the broken vase. Logan told him where the dustpan and broom were and where the bin was. Psyche wiggled in her chair in guilt, then sighing in resignation got up.

"I'm really sorry Logan. I'll replace it." Psyche looked up at him. She really was sorry. She had known Logan less than a few minutes and had already cost him over sixty thousand dollars. "I'd better go and talk to Max."

She left him in the lounge room supervising Alec and the cleanup. She walked through the large apartment to finally find Max in the dining room on the phone. Max looked over she shoulder and saw Psyche.

"We won't be back in today...we picked up this annoying rash while we where there." Max smirked at Psyche. "I'm covered in spots...no way am I checking Alec...yes Normal, I'll be back as soon as the rash disappears...mhmm, I'll get Original Cindy to drop the signature in to you...bye."

"Hey, I am not a rash." Psyche pouted, her red lips prominent on her face. "I came to apologise, but now I forget what I'm apologising for."

"Smashing Logan's vase." Max reminded her, crossing her arms and waiting for the reply.

"Then I should be apologising to Logan." Psyche replied, her voice rising. She turned to leave the room but Max was at her side in a flash, gripping her arm and preventing her from leaving.

"No Psyche. You should be apologising to me. I was bringing a young talented Manticore thief to help us bring down Manticore once and for all. Instead, I bring an adolescent and skittish young girl that explodes at the slightest thing _Alec _says, which might I add, I have to put up with too, and you smash a sixty thousand dollar eighteenth Century vase." Max's voice rose in volume and intensity. She rounded on the young girl who was startled into submission. "_I_ should be apologising to Logan. If you are going to be so immature, you can leave."


	4. Alpha times Beta equals?

AN: More flashbacks. I know its hard to understand but as soon as I post the names for our little X-6ers, you'll get it.

~~~

"501, in line now." The order was barked at the small contingent of X-6s. Commander Lantry was new to Manticore but she had been sufficiently briefed so that when she first saw a bunch of 7, 8 and 9 year olds butcher four grown men she didn't have a really bad heart attack. She was assigned to the X-6 Beta unit on her second day and introduced to the Commanding Officer 281 and the Second in Command 739.

501 quickly pulled back into line and stared straight ahead. The commander had been pretty nice to her group for the first three weeks, only ever being extreme when Lydecker or some other high up authority came to watch them all in action.

"281, take over your unit." 281 walked out in front of his group. At 5 years old he was the oldest of his unit. He was also very proud of it too. His SIC 739 was a good soldier, only a couple of months younger than he was. Most of his charges were either three or four except 501, 325 and 478. They were only three years old, 501 being the youngest, her light red fuzz had only appearred on the top of her head last month when she turned three.

"Attention." He yelled, his young voice lying about his age. When they were six months old and had been walking for a month, they began to talk and make up their own language. They used the hand signals taught to them by the U.S. army but also made up their own, that only they knew what they meant. When they were eighteen months old with the mentality of a four year old, they began training.

281 had eleven children under his watch and he loved the responsibility. His unit was always on time, out of the barracks and ready first in the mornings. 281 was interrupted mid thought by the sound of the door to the barracks opening and Lydecker walked in. 281 turned to him and saluted.

"At ease soldier." Lydecker's voice was thin but warm. "Today you meet the X-5s."

There was a small gasp from 501, then her face broke out into a wide grin. She was going to meet the X-5s.

Beta unit followed Lydecker out of the barracks and out into the maze of Manticore. When 281 was four, his unit was transferred to this Gillette, Wyoming facility where they where brought up with better equipment and the previous X-series.

When they had left the other facility, 281 had been old enough to remember women being brought in.

"Halt." Lydecker interrupted his thinking again. 281 instantly stood still at the front of the line. 739 was on his right, front of her line, just as still. They were both waiting as Lydecker gave the order to the soldiers at the door to open it.

The door opened and Beta unit filed into the room. Six children stood either side of Lydecker in a flat V. The room was full of X-series all sparring.

"Attention." Every single transgenic in the room stopped and stood to attention. There were all three units of X-5s, a handful of X-4s and a couple of X-3s (the ones that looked vaguely human) and many human soldiers positioned around the room at exits with tazers and guns.

"This is X-6 Beta unit." Lydecker introduced the X-6s then began pairing them off. "599, 281. 656, 739. 963, 847. 493, 453. 501, 452..."

He continued to list the X-5 Alpha unit and pair them off with the X-6 Beta unit. He pointed out each X-5 to the corresponding X-6 and then left the room to retrieve the other two X-6 units.

"Beta unit, assume your positions." 281 yelled at his unit. Each X-6 went to the X-5 they were assigned to and waited for their command.

281 stood in front of 599, watching each other carefully. The nine year old X-5 was larger than the five year old X-5 and had more experience. Even though 281 had only been training for three and a half years and 599 for five years, the X-6s had been trained with more knowledge, gained from the training of the X-4s and X-5s.

Suddenly 281 lunged at 599, throwing a punch at his jaw. 599 saw it coming but 281 was as fast as he was so all he could do was clench his jaw then punch him back.

As soon as 281 had moved an inch, his entire unit jumped into action. 501 began by dropping into a crouch and sweeping her leg under 452's and knocking her down. 452 somersaulted backwards from the ground and stood upright, hands in front of her in a fighting stance. 501 took a small step forward then kicked her in her sternum. There was a loud cracking sound as 452 flew into the wall behind her. She grimaced slightly as she got up and continued to fight.

656 instantly did a front flip over 739 with her hands on 739's shoulders. Still gripping 739's shoulders, 656 flipped her onto her back. 739 rolled over and pushed herself up, dodging 656's next blow. 739 then flipped behind her and hit 656 in her backbone with her palm. 656 fell to her knees and shot 739 a warning glance, then she was up and continued to spar.

599 punched 281, cracking his lip. 281 retaliated by swinging his right hand around and breaking two of 599's ribs. 599 did not cry out but continued to fight the rival X-6 CO.

~~~

"I'm sorry okay? I...um...I'm an X-6, I'm from Manticore." Psyche replied. "Don't expect me to be perfect."

"But you are Psyche." Max retaliated, continuing their fight. "Manticore made you perfect."

"So what? They made you perfect too and look at you. You get seizures and you go on heat." Psyche stopped. Blushing slightly she looked to the ground in embarrassment. "I'm only seventeen Max, even I go all teenagery all of a sudden."

Max softened slightly. The look on Psyche's face made her lose her anger. She looked so helpless and almost like a normal teenager. One who was allowed a childhood.

"I really am sorry Max. I want to help you bring Manticore down. Really." Psyche stood there in the middle of the dining room, tears threatening to fall from her long lashes. Max went to her and enveloped her in a hug.

That's how Logan found them. They were standing in the middle of his dining room in a big hug. He was insanely jealous so he cleared his throat rather loudly to announce his presence in the room. Max looked up at him and smiled as they parted.

"Hey." She said, turning Psyche to face him. He saw Max prod Psyche in the small of her back because she jumped and then looked up at him.

"Um, I'm sorry Logan. I'll replace it. I promise..."She stalled until Max prodded her again. "Oh, and I want to help you bring down Manticore. Once and for all."

He nodded. "I appreciate it Psyche." He smiled at her then turned and left the room. Max smiled at Psyche and then followed him.

"Pheww, how the hell do I get myself into these situations?" She sighed loudly to the empty room and then followed Max.


	5. Nebraska for a vase

AN: Any name in italics I can't remember the designation to. Sorry bout that.

~~~

The Gillette Wyoming Manticore base had an overflowing sick bay for the first time in its seventeen year history.

The entire Alpha X-5 unit and Beta X-6 unit were stuffed into the small room.

281 had three broken ribs, a broken nose, his left arm was broken in two places and two broken fingers on his right hand. 599 had a fractured jaw, a broken wrist and seven broken ribs making it hard for him to breath without wheezing softly.

Both CO's wandered up and down the aisles of wounded soldiers, checking on them, despite their own injuries.

452 was sitting up in her bed, her sternum cracked and four broken ribs. Her lip was swollen, making her lisp as she whispered in hushed tones to _Jhondi_ in the pallet to her left.

501 was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. 452 had broken her spinal cord just above her tailbone, rendering her a paraplegic until it healed in a few days. She had also broken her left ankle, her femur bone and a few toes but she couldn't feel the pain for her spine.

656 had been knocked unconscious by 739 hitting her at the base of her neck. 739 had then fallen unconscious from internal bleeding after her lungs were punctured by 4 broken ribs given to her by 656.

As 281 passed 739 and 599 watched 656 carefully, Lydecker walked into the room and surveyed the room. All the nurses waited until given the signal and then they exited the room.

"Congratulations Beta unit X-6." He began, looking at 281. "You are now the Alpha unit."

281 stood to attention and saluted Lydecker. He was thrilled that his unit had been placed as the Alpha unit but was unsure as to 583, the CO of the now Beta unit was going to take it.

"You all have two days for recovery. Then straight back into training. X-5 452 and X-6 501 have an extra day due to their more extensive injuries." Lydecker announced. He left the room feeling slightly annoyed. When he had returned to the sparring room with the Alpha and Delta X-6 unit, he had found the two units nearly killing each other. Although each series knew never to kill in sparring, had had neglected to inform the COs of the level of violence that was to be used. All 24 ended up in sick bay and the Board had nearly taken the X-5s and X-6s out of his command and given them to Renfro. He would never let that happen to his kids, and he hastened to point out to the Board that Renfro had expressed interest in the X-7s that were being born.

So fortunately for him, Renfro had been officially appointed head of the X-7s and Lydecker was issued a warning never to risk one of their lives again.

599 and 281 saluted again and then continued to stalk up and down the two aisles, glancing at each other and checking on their units.

~~~

"So, umm...what is it I'm doing anyways?" Psyche stood in the middle of Logan's computer room, hands on hips, right hip stuck out and lips pouting. Alec lounged in the lounge room (ooh, how original) adjacent to it, keeping an ear out for the conversation. Logan, sitting in his chair exchanged a look with Max who stood in the doorway, back to Alec.

"Psyche, you really," Max paused, drawing out the words, "Really want to bring Manticore down don't you?"

Psyche cocked her head to the slightly to the right with a look of confusion crossing her features. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"What she means is..." Alec supplied, joining in the conversation to Max's disapproval. "Will you do anything?"

Psyche turned to him and threw him a sour look. Then she nodded softly in agreeance.

"Good." Logan replied, clicking around on his computer. Within seconds he had the Manticore mainframe online. Psyche peered over his shoulder and Max watched from the doorway. "I need you to infiltrate a Manticore base in Nevada."

"Ooh, Las Vegas. I am so there." Alec jumped up from the sofa and brushed past Max, totally missing the exasperated rolling of eyes that she performed.

"Sorry Alec, you and I are going to Nebraska." Max replied, getting a grin from Logan and Psyche. Alec turned to her and gave her a horrified look.

"Who said I was helping?"

"You were just ready to help Psyche." Max complained, her eyes darkening slightly.

"So? She is nicer than you are and _I _wanna go to Las Vegas. Definitely not Lincoln. Boring." He replied, looking menacingly at Max. She opened her mouth to protest but Psyche stepped in, shooting Max a 'let-me-deal-with-the-idiot' look. They both smiled and Max stepped back, letting Psyche deal with Alec.

"Aww, c'mon Alec." She placed a hand on his arm and smiled sweetly. "All I get to do is infiltrate a Manticore base to umm..."

She stopped and looked at Logan. He cleared his throat and glanced at his computer screen. "To steal some high profile files to prove Manticores existence and bring it all down."

"See there you go." She cheerily told him, smiling and patting his arm. "So boring, I'm going to...where in Nebraska?"

"Sutcliffe." Logan replied.

"Sutcliffe." Psyche told Alec. "Very boring. And you and Max get to go to...where in Nebraska?"

"Elsmere." Logan replied.

"You get to go all the way to Elsmere in Nebraska to...what?" She said, looking imploringly at Logan again for help.

"To get into a Manticore base where there maybe some X-9s being grown and/or born." He said again, watching the interaction between the two X-series closely.

"Yeah." Psyche said again. "You get to go all the way to Elsmere in Nebraska to rescue babies. I have to go all the way to Nevada...all alone..."

Max stopped her before she feigned fainting. "Hey, that's enough, that will just entice him more."

Alec looked from Psyche to Max with a surprised look on his face. For a seventeen year old, she really knew how to pull his strings. She intrigued him to no ends. That was unusual. No norm had succeeded. Yet here was a seventeen year old X-6 pushing every button he possessed. Controlling his expression, he frowned at them, then feigned indifference and went back to the couch.

"Hmm." Logan groaned. "C'mon you guys should leave within the day."

"Wait, I thought you were coming with." Max cried, looking confused.

"I can't Max." He smiled at her and then turned away. He really hated this virus. It kept him from the woman he loved. Just recently Max had turned twenty one and he couldn't even hug her to wish her happy birhday. She had to make do wih a cake.

"Okay." Max sighed. "You get us maps, sector passes and everything else that we will need and we," she pointed to Psyche and Alec, "will be back in two hours, k?"

"Okay." He replied, watching her leave the room. Psyche threw him a genuine smile and followed her out. Remembering Alec he swivelled in his chair to see Alec hadn't moved from the couch and was watching him. "Well?"

"Well what?" Alec replied, lifting his feet onto Logan's very expensive glass top coffee table. "I don't want to go."

"Look." Logan sighed. "You go, I give you the other vase."

Alec looked over to the vase on the table then back to Logan. It took less than a second to decide. "Deal."


	6. See Chelle

AN: If any of you are wondering how to pronounce Psyche: (Si-key).

Disclaimer: I've made up names in here of clubs, places, hotels and stuff. I live in Oz so I really don't know distances, names of things so don't sue if I get things wrong. Plus, I kinda don't know distances from place to place. I got most of the place names from a very big, very old atlas. Not too brill...

Psyche zoomed down the highway, her long red hair shining in the sunlight. She'd taken her red Mercedes out of storage and juiced it up, specifically for this mission. She hadn't used it since her last 'paid' expedition.

Her first day had started off around lunchtime when she left Foggle Towers. Max and Alec had twice as far than her to go to get to Elsmere. So Logan had given her a fake credit card with unlimited funds. She had her shopping spree all set out. First stop, Portland.

It had taken her and Max ages to finally convince Alec to go with Max to Elsmere, even when he was holding the vase Logan promised him in his hand.

__

Earlier

"What if I don't come back?" He questioned, examining the vase in his hands. 'Could we be so lucky?' Psyche thought. "What if I die? What if I get captured? What if..."

"...I kill you here and now and save us all the trouble?" Max interjected, snatching the vase from his hands. He quickly snatched it back.

"Nah, it's cool. I'll go." He grinned, placing the vase up onto the top of a cupboard. "I'll grab that when I get back."

Max punched him on the shoulder as the three transgenics followed Logan into his computer room for the final low down on the trip. Psyche perched herself on the desk next to Logan's computer, Max stood as far away as she could from Logan and Alec yawned widely as he leaned in the doorway to the lounge room.

"Now Psyche, you're going into the Sutcliffe base as Myra Franks, a high profile doctor working with genetics splicing for the X-10s." Logan passed Psyche a stack of papers and I.D. cards which she looked through. He then passed her a red disk. "This disk with connect to my computer here. All you have to do is insert it into any computer that connects into the mainframe complex and it will transmit back to me."

Logan then explained to her the logistics of the disk and how it transmitted but she tuned out, preferring the physical to the technical on a mission.

"Where'd you get it?" She asked, fingering the disk. Logan grinned sheepishly.

"One of the Manticorian escapees, Joshua..."

"A friend of mine." Piped in Max.

"Joshua has a few friends, including a super computer enhanced transgenic. He was rather helpful." He swivelled in his chair and passed Alec and Max another bundle of papers with I.D.s.

"Wait a minute," Psyche interrupted, "I don't know anything about genetic splicing, how am I gonna pull this off?"

"Newbie." Alec muttered, going into the lounge room.

"Don't worry bout him." Max told her, going through her papers and producing two pieces of paper that Psyche speed read. "You go in, get a tour of the facility, get your own office and your own computer."

"Connected to the mainframe I'm guessing." Psyche added, intrigued as to how Logan could have gotten her a job at Manticore, let alone access to a Manticore computer. "Then I skedaddle?"

"Good girl." Alec called from the lounge room. Psyche rolled her eyes and went over the plans again to make sure she didn't leave anything out.

~~~

452 laid in bed, the dark fuzz on her head and dark skin stood out starkly against the white pillow. 501 lay quietly on her bed, opposite hers. An hour ago she had felt pain in her left foot and she had just got back from an extensive poking and prodding and needle stabbing by the doctors of Manticore, overseen by Colonel Lydecker. According to Doctor James, her spinal cord was repaired, all she needed was a few more hours rest and she'd be as good as new.

"Are you ok?" 501 was startled. She turned her head to see 452 standing beside her bed. 501 cleared her throat and strained her ears to hear if anyone was close. 452 smiled and made a sign with her hands. "I already checked."

"I'm fine. Hundred percent operational in five hours. 452, um Mam?" Uncertain what to call 452, although she knew 452 was her superior, she also knew that 452 was only five years older than herself.

"Don't call me Mam." 452 answered, perching herself on the end of 501's bed. "Call me Max, that's what my squad calls me."

"Max?" 501 asked, her brow creasing in confusion. "But names aren't...I mean...we have designations. I'm 3302569417501. X-6 501."

"And I'm 3821384127452. Aka X-5 452. But to my squad, to my friends I'm Max." Max slid closer to 501. "599 is Zack, our CO, our SIC 739 is Tinga, Jace..."

"Stop." 501 cried. "Leave me alone. I don't want a name. Lydecker wouldn't approve. He doesn't think names are useful in helping us acquiring our goals. To help us become soldiers."

"But, I'm only trying to help." Max said, creeping back to the bottom of the bed. "I thought you'd like a name too. I thought you were different."

"Please go away." 501 said, closing her eyes.

Max continued earnestly. "We're both the babies of our series, I'm five months younger than anyone else and..."

"Please go away." 501 repeated. Max sighed and left 501 to feel her pain in silence.

~~~

As the sun started to go down on Psyche's first day on the road, she looked for a club in Portland. She'd already secured the presidential suite at the 'Holtz' and had dressed ready for a night out on the town. Her dark auburn hair hung out, down past her waist to the small of her back in waves. Black leather pants hugged her thighs and bum, coming to flared ends way past her toes. Chunky knee high boots and a long, flared sleeve, dark emerald top baring her mid-rift topped off her ensemble as she hit the town searching for a club.

Flashing neon lights screaming 'koola' caught her eye as did the line up out the front. 'Just my kinda party' she thought, heading straight towards the bouncers out the front. A tall, good looking guy with blonde hair she knew was gay. Or at least bi, she could smell all sorts of things on him. The other guy, short, stocky and older was darting his eyes around, arms crossed and cranky looking.

She watched for a second as two equally strange looking, mini skirt wearing, stiletto stumbling, blonde (not natural, she could see the roots) bimbos walked up to the bouncers and whispered in the shorter man's ears a code to get in the club. Psyche then walked up to the bouncers.

"Hi." She flashed a smile at the tall guy and then the shorter one. "Chelle said to drop her name, you'd let me skip the line."

The tall guy leered at her, a cheesy grin plastered on his face. 'Bi' was her next thought 'Definitely bi'. The short guy looked her up and down. "Well, if Chelle said..."

"Chelle said." Psyche replied, glad her hearing came in useful at least once in a while. The stocky guy moved sideways and she sidled past, into the throng of people dancing in a frenzy on the dance floor, old techno pumped in her ears as she surveyed the crowd. A sudden tap on the shoulder spun her round into the black eyes of someone she knew.

"Psyche." Psyche's hand flew to her forehead where she suddenly saluted.

"739." Psyche blanched as she said the three numbers.

"Call me Chelle. I prefer the letters to numbers."


End file.
